Captioned Device for Deafblind Communication via Voice-to-Braille Relay
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current communication systems for the deafblind community do not effectively enable communication between hearing and vision impaired individuals, as existing captioned devices and relay systems are not designed to accommodate both hearing and sight impairments, leading to slower and less accurate transcription of voice to braille, which can cause confusion and delay in conversations.
Innovation Solution
A communication system that includes a relay to convert hearing users' voice signals to text, a text-to-braille converter, and a braille display, allowing deafblind users to receive braille messages through a captioned device, with features like audio warnings and buffer status indicators to manage communication flow and accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If captioned devices and relay systems are designed for hearing impaired users only, then text captioning can be provided effectively, but communication effectiveness deteriorates for deafblind users who need both audio and braille output
Solution Approach 1:
The captioned device is enhanced to provide multiple output modalities (audio broadcast, visual display, and braille output) simultaneously, making it universally applicable to hearing impaired, vision impaired, and deafblind users. The system can adapt its output based on user needs while maintaining a single integrated platform.
Solution Approach 2:
The communication system is divided into separate functional components: audio output through speakers, visual display through screen, and braille output through connected braille display devices. This segmentation allows each modality to operate independently and simultaneously, providing redundant and complementary information channels for deafblind users.
2Speed
If voice to braille transcription is performed in real-time, then communication speed improves, but transcription accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary voice-to-text transcription at the relay server before converting to braille, allowing time for accuracy verification and correction. The captioned device then displays and transcribes this pre-processed text to braille, balancing speed and accuracy by doing heavy processing beforehand.
Solution Approach 2:
A text intermediary layer is introduced between voice input and braille output. The relay server converts voice to text first, then the captioned device converts text to braille. This intermediary step allows for better error correction and quality control while maintaining reasonable transcription speed.
3Loss of information
If buffer capacity is increased to store more voice data, then transcription completeness improves, but communication delay increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses periodic buffer flushing where accumulated voice data is transcribed and converted to braille in regular intervals or when buffer thresholds are reached. This periodic processing ensures no data is lost while preventing excessive delays, as the buffer is cleared systematically rather than allowing unlimited accumulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system monitors buffer status and provides feedback to adjust transcription priority and speed. When the buffer approaches capacity, the system accelerates transcription processes. When the buffer is empty or low, the system can operate at normal speed, dynamically balancing completeness and delay based on real-time conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
A communication system for communicating between a hearing user using a hearing user's communication device and an assisted user, the communication system comprising a relay that receives a hearing user's voice signal and converts that voice signal to text, a text to braille converter that receives the text generated at the relay and converts that text to braille data, a braille display device that is capable of generating braille messages that can be detected by an assisted user via touch and an assisted user's captioned device that receives the braille data and uses the braille data to drive the braille display device to generate braille messages for the assisted user to sense.